As many as 47 doctors had become victim of target killing incidents from 2010 to 2014 in Karachi and no concrete step has yet taken so far to stop the unabated killing of healthcare professionals in the city.
These doctors were killed on sectarians grounds, non-payment of extortion money, ransom, personal disputes, ethnics issues, affiliation with political parties and others reasons.
According to the data compiled by the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), 47 doctors were killed from 2010 to 2014 in Karachi over multiple reasons. The report said 10 doctors became victims of target killing incidents from 2014 till today. Some 14 health practitioners were killed in 2013, 11 in 2012, four in 2011, and eight in 2010. However, no data about the killings of doctors was available from 2005 to 2009.
The report further revealed that three doctors were killed in 2004, two in 2003, seven in 2002, 13 in 2001 and six in 2000. Seven doctors were killed in 1999, four in 1998, 13 in 1997, six in 1996 and eight doctors were killed in 1995. As per the data, 17 doctors became victim of target killing from 1990 to 1994. A total of 133 doctors were killed from 1990 to 2014 except the period of 2005 to 2009.
PMA Karachi President Dr Idress Adhi talking to PPI said that PMA as representative of doctors had knocked the door of health department, Rangers, police, other law enforcing agencies, social media and print and electronic media to stop the target killing of healthcare practitioners in city but unfortunately nobody was ready to play their due role in this regard.
He said no such example of killing of medical professionals was found in any other country. He said political parties disowned the target killings of doctors but they were not ready to device any policy to control the murder of professionals. He said lack of political will was major reason behind non-stop killing of doctors in the city. He said doctors were being killed on sectarian grounds, non-payment of extortion, ransom money and other reasons.
He said police claimed about the arresting the criminals involved in target killing but nobody was ready to inform PMA about how many killers of doctors had been arrested so far. He said police and Rangers complaint centers were established in PMA House but no action had been taken on doctors’ complaints so far.
He demanded of the government and law enforcement agencies to play their due role to stop the killing of professionals as no society can survive without the professionals.
